Chain link tool



Sept. 8, 1964 c. N. LENGYEL CHAIN LINK TOOL Filed Jan. 3. 1961 INVENTOR. (jar/e; IV. Levy ye! y A TTOR 3: XS

United States Patent 3,147,585 CHAIN LINK TOOL Charles N. Lengyel, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Kropp Speed-Way, Inc, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Tennessee Filed Jan. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 80,085 9 Claims. (Cl. 59-7) This invention relates to assembly and disassembly of chain link members and is more particularly directed to improved methods and means for joining and separating link members of chain lengths.

Heretofore, difiiculty has been encountered in assembling and particularly in disassembling a pair of joined link members of a chain length. Some link members were constructed in such a manner that one or the other of joined link members had to be broken in order to separate the members. Other link members were of such construction that a separate pin had to be employed to connect the tongue of one link member between the clevis portion of an adjacent link member. To assemble or disassemble such link members in articulate relation required extensive and time consuming manual operation by manufacturing personnel.

Still other link members are so constructed that the pin was formed integral with the tongue required breaking of the clevis fingers of the adjacent link member or of the integral pin. Another method of assembling and disassembling link members having integral pins included bending of the finger extension of one link member from contact with the pin of the adjacent link member which Was inserted in the apertures formed in the fingers of the clevis extension. Difiiculty encountered in this latter method was that bending of the fingers would tend to weaken the finger since the force applied to the finger was not uniform across the finger. Thus subsequent reuse of the link member having a finger so bent tended to weaken the chain length.

By employment of the present invention wherein the force applied to the finger extension in bending thereof from contact with the pin portion of an adjacent link positioned in the apertures of the finger to be bent is uniform, I provide simple and effective means for assembly and disassembly of link members of chain lengths which permits subsequent use of the link member having the bent finger.

It is therefor an object of the present invention to pro- I vide new and improved means for assembling and disassembling chain link members by bending one or both of the fingers of a link member from contact with the pin of an adjacent link member positioned in the apertures of the said fingers.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved chain link tool which facilitates assembly and disassembly of link members of a chain length.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved tool adapted to bend the finger of one link member by the application of uniform force thereto.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method for assembling and disassembling link members in chain lengths.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a careful consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the concepts of my invention, and wherein like reference characters and numerals refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of connected chain links and showing the tool of this invention in position for bending the finger of one link member to separate the adjacent link member therefrom.

FIGURE 2 is a view in bottom elevation illustrating the tool of the present invention engaging the finger extension of a link member.

FIGURE 3 is a view illustrating the bending function of the tool of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a tool constructed in accordance with the present invention.

As shown on the drawings:

Briefiy stated, the present invention relates to improved methods and means for bending a clevis finger extension over or from the pin of an adjacent link for assembly or disassembly of the links in articulate relationship. The tool constructed in accordance with the present invention has particular applicability for assembling and disassembling link members having a pin formed integral with the tongue portion and extending transversely from both sides of the tongue portion.

A tool constructed in accordance with the present invention, as appears in FIGURE 4 and generally designated by the numeral 5, includes a metal handle or shank 6 which may be threaded as at 7 (FIGURE 2) into an end wall 8 of a bifurcated metal head generally indicated by the numeral 9. The metal head 9 is preferably composed of hardened steel while the shank 6 may be mild steel bar stock. The shank or handle 6 is preferably threaded into a base or backing portion 10 of the head 9 and preferably at an angle of approximately 15 from the longitudinal axis of the head 9 (FIGURE 2) to provide leverage when bending the finger of a link member.

' The bifurcated head 9 includes the end wall 8 and backing or base portion 10 which may be provided with an inner arcuate end 11 for purposes hereinafter more fully described. Spaced from the inner surface 12 of the backing portion 10 and preferably parallel thereto is a tongue portion 13 which may extend perpendicular from the end wall 8. The tongue portion 13 is preferably centrally recessed as at 14 and the recess 14 may be provided with an arcuate end 15. The extensions 13a and 13b of the tongue portion may be provided with an inwardly tapered edge 16 and 17 respectively for purposes hereinafter more fully described. The inner surface 18 of the tongue 13 is substantially flat and preferably parallel to the inner surface 12 of the backing portion 10.

As aforesaid, the tool constructed in accordance with the present invention has particular applicability for assembly and disassembly of link members including a pin formed integral with the tongue portion thereof. Such a link member, generally designated by the numeral 20 appears in FIGURES 2 and 3. i

The link member 20 includes a body portion 21 having an upright longitudinally extending integral tongue portion 22 projecting from one end. The outer end of the tongue has an integral transverse pin 23 thereon which 7 projects from opposed sides of the tongue portion as at 23a and 23b. Projecting from the end of the body portion 21 opposite the tongue end portion is a clevis portion 24 which includes a pair of spaced fingers 25 and 26 which extend therefrom. Each of the finger extensions 25 and 26 are provided with an aperture 27 adapted to receive the integral pin 28 of an adjacent link member 29 shown in fragmentary elevation and to the right in FIG- URE 2. Each link is recessed as at 50 to receive teeth of a sprocket not shown. In addition, the recess 50 is divided by a central wall 51 to fit slots in the sprocket teeth to center the chain on the sprocket.

As more clearly appears in FIGURE 2, the bifurcated head 9 provides a space between the inner surface 12 of the backing portion 10 and inner surface 18 of the tongue portion 13 to permit contact of the backing portion surface 12 with the outside of the finger 25 and the inner surface 18 of the tongue portion 13 with the inner surface of the finger 25. The recess 14 formed in the tongue portionis sized to permit the tongue portion to straddle the pin 28 of the adjacent link member 29 when the adjacent link members 20 and 29 are in angled relation to,

open up an entry gap for receiving the tongue portion of tool head 9.

For assembly or disassembly of adjacent link members in, an existing chain drive belt, as appears in FIGURES l and 2, the chain should be slackened enough to permit positioning of two adjacent links in substantially right angled relation to permit insertion of the finger of the link to be bent in the slot of the tool as shown and'to permit a straight lateral bending movement. Thus the tool may be moved outwardly or inwardly in disassembling and assembling the adjacent link members 20 and 29.

Thus with the link members in angle relation thereby opening anentry gap forreceiving the tool head 9, the backing portion engages the outer surface of the finger 25 and the tongue portion 13 engages the inner surface of the finger 25 while the recess 14 straddles the pin 28 of the adjacent link 29. The tool is now in position for bending the finger 25 outwardly to disassemble link members 20 and 29.

Depending, of course, upon the ductility of the link member 20, the finger 25 may be bent outwardly or inwardly at room temperature or at a temperature sufficient to permit bending thereof. Where the link member 20 is forged of 4140 S.A.E steel, it is preferable to heat the finger 25 or 26 to a chery red condition, approximately 1300 F. before bending thereof.

With the tool now positoned as shown in FIGURE 2, the tool, for disassembly purposes, may be bent outwardly as appears in FIGURE 3. It will be observed that the inner surface 12 of the backing portion 10 of'the tool head 9 provides a uniform backing surface, whereas the inner surface 18 of the tongue portion 13 provides a uniform surface in contact with the inner surface of the finger 25 whereby the force applied'by the tool is exerted uniformly against the finger 25. In bending the finger 25 outwardly, the arcuate end surface 11 of the backing portion 10 permits movement of the head 9 to a position preventing binding of the tool and finger. Similarly the tapered'surfaces 16 and 17 of the tongue portion extensions 13a and 13b provide entrance guides shifting the tongue 29 against the opposite finger 26 and creating a clearance to permit movement of the tool for bending the finger 25 outwardly to a position wherein the pin 28 is clear of the aperture 27 formed in the finger 25.

After the tongue portion of the tool has been'inserted in the entry gap and the pin 28 straddled in the recess 14, the pin 28 is normally forced by the tongue of the head against the side of the finger 26 and the tongue portion of the link member 29 forced against the inner surface of the finger 26 of the link member 20, thus maintaining the links in position when the tool 5 is forced inwardly or outwardly.

If the link member 20 is constructedof S.A.E. 4140 steel, it is preferably heated, as aforesaid, to a cherry red condition (about 1300 F.). When the damaged link member 29 has been replaced, it is preferable that the link member be at a temperature. facilitating bending thereof without affecting the other desirable properties of the material of construction of the link members. When it is desired to assemble the link members, the link members are angled and the tool head is positioned so that the recess 14 straddles the aperture 27 of the finger 25. The engaged finger is then bent inwardly with the aperture 27 thereof fitting over the pin 28 of the adjacent link 29.

It will be appreciated that a tool, as heretofore described, may be employed to bend one or both fingers 25 or 26, respectively, and is advantageously employed for repairing chain lengths.

Thus it will be appreciated that with a tool constructed in accordance with the present invention, simple and effective means are provided to facilitate asembly and disassembly of link members having integral pins.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A chain link finger bending tool adapted for bending a finger of a link member to permit assembly and disassembly of a pair of link members of a chain length, each of said link members including a body portion, a tongue portion longitudinally extending from one end of the body portion and carying a transversely extending connecting pin, and a pair of spaced fingers extending longitudinally from the opposite end of the body portion, each of said fingers being apertured to receive the transversely extending connecting pin of an identical link member, comprising: a shank carying a bifurcated head having a backing portion sized to engage the outer side of a finger of a first link member, and a tongue portion sized to engage the inner side of the said finger of the first link member while said backing portion engages the outer side thereof, said tongue portion being recessed to straddle the pin of the second link member whereby the engaged finger of the first link member may be bent towards and from the longitudinal axis of the first link member to thereby assemble and disassemble the first and second link members in articulate relation.

2. A chain link finger bending tool adapted for bending-a finger of a link member to permit assembly and disassembly of a pair of link members of a chain length, each of said link members including a body portion, a tongue portion longitudinally extending from one end of the body portion and carrying a transversely extending connecting pin, and a pair of spaced fingers extending longitudinally from the opposite end of the body portion, each of said fingers being apertured to receive the transverse connecting pin of an'identical link member, comprising: a shank carrying a bifurcated head having a backing portion sized to engage a portion of the outer side of a finger of a first link member, and a tongue portion sized to engage a portion of the inner side of the said finger of the first link member while said backing portion engages the outer side thereof, said tongue portion bening centrally recessed to straddle the pin of the second link member whereby said engaged finger may be bent towards and from the longitudinal axis of the first link member to thereby assemble and disassemble the first and second link members in articulate relation.

3. A chain link finger bending tool adapted'for bending a finger of a link member to permit assembly and disassembly of a pair of link members of a chain length, each of said link members including a body portion, a tongue portion longitudinally extending from one end of the body portion and carrying a transversely extending connecting pin, and a pair of spaced fingers extending longitudinally from the opposite end of the body portion, each of said fingers being apertured to receive the transverse connecting pin of an identical link member,

comprising: a shank carrying a bifurcated head having a backing portion sized to engage the outer side of a finger of a first link member and provided with an arcuate inner edge, and a tongue portion sized to engage the inner side of the said finger of the first link member while said backing portion engages the outer side thereof, said tongue portion having a recess for straddling the pin of the second link member and having tapered outer edges adjacent the recess, whereby said engaged finger may be bent towards and from the longitudinal axis of the first link member to thereby assemble and disassemble the first and second link members in articulate relation.

4. A chain link finger bending tool adapted for bending a finger extension of a link member to permit assembly and disassembly of a pair of link members of a chain length, each of said link members including a body portion, a tongue portion longitudinally extending from one end of the body portion and carrying a transversely extending connecting pin, and a pair of spaced fingers extending longitudinally from the opposed end of the body portion, each of said fingers being apertured to receive the transverse connecting pin of an identical link member, comprising: a shank carrying a bifurcated head including a tongue portion sized to engage the inner side of a finger of a first link member when the longitudinal axis of the first link member is in angled relation to the longitudinal axis of a second link member having its pin positioned between the fingers of the first link member to thereby provide an entry gap for receiving the tongue portion of the bifurcated head, said tongue portion having a recess sized to straddle the pin of the second link member, and a backing portion sized to engage the outer side of the engaged finger of the first link member while the tongue portion engages the inner side thereof whereby the engaged finger may be bent to and from the longitudinal axis of the first link member.

5. A chain link finger bending tool adapted for bending a finger of a link member to permit assembly and disassembly of link members of a chain length, each of said link members including a body portion, a tongue portion longitudinally extending from one end of the body portion and carrying a connecting pin extending transversely from both sides of the tongue portion, and a pair of spaced fingers longitudinally extending from the opposite end of the body portion, each of said fingers being apertured to receive the transverse connecting pin of an identical link member, comprising: a shank carrying a bifurcated head including an end Wall, a first side wall extending substantially perpendicular from the end wall, said first side wall being sized to engage the inner side of a finger of a first link member when the longitudinal axis of the first link member is in angled relation to the longitudinal axis of a second link member having its pin positioned between the fingers of the first link member to thereby provide an entry gap for receiving the first side wall of the bifurcated head, said first side wall being recessed to straddle the pin of the second link member, and a second side wall extending substantially perpendicular from the end Wall and spaced from the first side wall, said second side wall being sized to engage the outer side of the finger of the first link member while the tongue portion engages the inner side thereof whereby the engaged finger may be bent to and from the longitudinal axis of the first link member.

6. A chain link finger bending tool adapted for bending a finger of a link member to permit assembly and disassembly of a pair of link members in a chain length, each of said link members including a body portion, a tongue portion longitudinally extending from one end of the body portion and carrying a connecting pin extending transversely from both ends of the tongue portion, and a pair of spaced and substantially parallel fingers longitudinally extending from the opposite side of the body portion which are apertured to receive the transverse connecting pin of identical link member, comprising: a

shank carrying a bifurcated head including a recessed tongue portion sized to engage the inner side of a finger of a first link member when the longitudinal axis of the first link member is in angled relation to the longitudinal axis of a second link member having its pin positioned between the fingers of the first link member to thereby provide an entry gap for receiving the said tongue portion of the bifurcated head, the recess in said tongue portion being sized to straddle the pin of the said second link member, and a backing portion sized to engage the outer side of the finger of the first link member while the tongue portion engages the inner side thereof, said backing portion being spaced from the tongue portion and extending substantially parallel thereto, whereby the engaged finger may be bent to and from the longitudinal axis of the first link member to thereby assemble and disassemble the first and second link members.

7. A chain link finger bending tool adapted for bending a finger of a link member to permit assembly and disassembly of a pair of link member of a chain length, each of said link members including a body portion, a tongue portion extending longitudinally from one end of the body portion and carrying a connecting pinextending transversely from opposed sides of the tongue portion, and a pair of spaced and substantially parallel fingers extending from the opposite end of the body portion, each of said fingers being aper-tured to receive the transversely extending connecting pin of an identical link member, comprising: a shank carrying a bifurcated head including a recessed tongue portion sized to engage the inner side of a finger of a first link member when the longitudinal axis of the first link member is aligned substantially at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of a second link member having its pin positioned between the spaced finger extensions of the first link member to thereby provide an entry gap for receiving the tongue portion of the bifurcated head, the recess in the tongue portion being sized to straddle the pin of the second link member, and a backing portion sized to engage the outer side of the engaged finger of the first link member while the tongue portion engages the inner side thereof whereby the engaged finger may be bent towards and from the longitudinal axis of the first link member to thereby assemble and disassemble the first and second link members in articulate relation.

8. A chain link finger bending bifurcated tool head adapted for connection to a shank to bend the finger of a link member to permit assembly and disassembly of a pair of link members of a chain length, each of said link members including a body portion, a tongue portion longitudinally extending from one end of the body portion and carrying a connecting pin extending transversely from both sides of the tongue portion, and a pair of spaced fingers extending longitudinally from the opposite end of the body portion, each of said fingers being apertured to receive the transversely extending connecting pin of an identical link member, said bifurcated head including a tongue portion sized to engage the inner side of a finger of a first link member and recessed to straddle the pin of a second link member having its transverse connecting pin positioned between the fingers of the first link member, and a backing portion sized to engage the outer side of the engaged finger of the first link member while the tongue portion engages the inner side thereof whereby the engaged finger of the first link member may be bent towards and from the longitudinal axis of the first link member to thereby assemble and disassemble the first and second link members in articulate relation.

9. A chain link finger bending tool which comprises a hard metal head block having a transverse slot extending inwardly from the leading end face thereof into spaced relation from the trailing end face of the block, said slot being defined by opposed flat side walls with one of said walls being flared outwardly to the leading end face of the block to provide a widened entrance mouth to the slot, the other flat side Wall of the slot being bifurcated to provide a chain pin straddling recess opening through the leading end face of the block and fingers on opposite sides of the recess, the outer ends of said fingers tapering toward the'leading end face of the block to provide entrance guides for the fingers, and a handle extending from the trailing end face of the block.

817,514 Po-indexter Apr. 10, 1906 8 Bryan June 11, Rush Dec. 9, Kuehn Aug. 8, Herold Nov. 6, Frasier et a1. Feb. 8, Corrado Dec. 19, Peterson Sept. 30, Cooper July 28,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 5, 

1. A CHAIN LINK FINGER BENDING TOOL ADAPTED FOR BENDING A FINGER OF A LINK MEMBER TO PERMIT ASSEMBLY AND DISASSEMBLY OF A PAIR OF LINK MEMBERS OF A CHAIN LENGTH, EACH OF SAID LINK MEMBERS INCLUDING A BODY PORTION, A TONGUE PORTION LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF THE BODY PORTION AND CARYING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING CONNECTING PIN, AND A PAIR OF SPACED FINGERS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE OPPOSITE END OF THE BODY PORTION, EACH OF SAID FINGERS BEING APERTURED TO RECEIVE THE TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING CONNECTING PIN OF AN IDENTICAL LINK MEMBER, COMPRISING: A SHANK CARYING A BIFURCATED HEAD HAVING A BACKING PORTION SIZED TO ENGAGE THE OUTER SIDE OF A FINGER OF A FIRST LINK MEMBER, AND A TONGUE PORTION SIZED TO ENGAGE THE INNER SIDE OF THE SAID FINGER OF THE FIRST LINK MEMBER WHILE SAID BACKING PORTION ENGAGES THE OUTER SIDE THEREOF, SAID TONGUE PORTION BEING RECESSED TO STRADDLE THE PIN OF THE SECOND LINK MEMBER WHEREBY THE ENGAGED FINGER OF THE FIRST LINK MEMBER MAY BE BENT TOWARDS AND FROM THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE FIRST LINK MEMBER TO THEREBY ASSEMBLE AND DISASSEMBLE THE FIRST AND SECOND LINK MEMBERS IN ARTICULATE RELATION. 